Italy
Business attaire for meetings is formal. A knowledge of Italian is a distinct advantage. Prior appointments are essential. Ministries and most public offices close at 1345 and, except by special appointment, it is not possible to see officials in the afternoon. A handshake is the normal greeting between men and may be followed by the grasping of an elbow; guests are introduced first. Good friends, even of the same gender, may hug, kiss cheeks and walk arm in arm. Do not use first names until well-acquainted or invited to do so. Titles are commonly used by university graduates ("dottore"), lawyers ("avvocato"), engineers ("ingegnere"), and other professionals. Office hours are normally 0900-1700 Monday to Friday but many offices close earlier, particularly on Fridays.
Italy has a low rate of violent crime, little of which is directed toward tourists. Petty crimes such as pickpocketing, theft from parked cars, and purse snatching, however, are serious problems, especially in large cities. Most reported thefts occur at crowded tourist sites, on public buses or trains, or at the major railway stations, including Rome's Termini, Milan's Centrale, Florence's Santa Maria Novella, and Naples' Centrale. Elderly tourists who have tried to resist petty thieves on motor scooters have suffered broken arms and collarbones. To reduce the chance of becoming a victim, do not carry a wallet or purse if possible. Shoulder bags should be carried tightly under the arm with the clasp facing the body. Waist packs should be worn in the front, but be aware that they can be unobtrusively slit open by thieves. Leave extra cash, credit cards, and personal documents in a hotel safe. Carry photocopies of passports and financial documents separately from the originals.
Thieves in Italy often work in groups or pairs. In most cases, one thief distracts a victim while an accomplice performs the robbery. Groups of street urchins are known to poke tourists with newspapers or pieces of cardboard to divert their attention so that another street urchin can pickpocket them. In one particular routine, one thief throws trash or waste at the victim; a second thief assists the victim in cleaning up the mess; and the third discreetly takes the victim's belongings. Criminals on crowded public transportation slit the bottoms of purses or bags with a razor blade or sharp knife, then remove the contents through the bottom. Theft of small items such as radios, luggage, cameras, briefcases, and even cigarettes from parked cars is a major problem. Robbers in southern Italy take items from cars at gas stations (often by smashing car windows). In the Naples area, thefts have also been reported from occupied vehicles waiting in traffic or stopped at traffic lights. To discourage this kind of theft, drivers should keep their car doors locked, windows rolled up, and valuables out of sight when driving in cities and major towns. Do not leave valuables in an unattended vehicle. Tourists should immediately report thefts or other crimes to the local police.
In a scam practiced on the highway between Rome and Naples, one thief punctures the tire of a rental or out-of-town car. An accomplice signals the flat tire to the driver and encourages the driver to pull over. When the driver stops, one thief helps change the tire, while the other takes the driver's belongings. Travelers should avoid driving at night on highways in southern Italy. When stopping at service areas on the highway (autostrada), make sure that your parked car remains in sight. One person should remain in the car, partly because thieves sometimes mark unattended vehicles to make them identifiable. The marked vehicle is later followed by accomplices who use one of the aforementioned schemes to perpetrate a robbery. There have been occasional reports of break-ins of rental cars in northern Italy when the precautions mentioned above were not followed during stops at highway service areas.
In a scam practiced on trains, primarily in northern Italy, one or more persons will befriend a traveler and offer food or drink. The offered item will be drugged. Thieves have been known to impersonate police officers to gain the confidence of tourists. The thief shows the prospective victim a circular plastic sign with the words "police" or "international police." If this happens, the tourist should insist on seeing the officer's identification card (documento), because impersonators tend not to carry forged documents.
Many luxury hotels are available throughout Italy and Rome is particularly well provided with hotels, but it is advisable to book in advance. Inexpensive hotels, which usually provide basic board (room plus shower), offer an economical form of accommodation throughout Italy, and there is a wide choice in the cities. Again, especially in the main cities, it is wise to book in advance.
Full telephone IDD service available. Country code: 39 (followed by 6 for Rome, 2 for Milan, 11 for Turin, 81 for Naples, 41 for Venice and 55 for Florence). Outgoing international code: 00. Telephone kiosks accept Lit100, Lit200 and Lit500 coins, as well as gettoni, tokens that are available at tobacconists and bars. There are some card phones, and phonecards can be purchased at post offices, tobacconists and certain newsagents. Some hotels have fax facilities. Post office hours are 0800/0830-1200/1230 and 1400/1430-1730/1800 Monday to Friday; Saturday mornings only.
Electricity is 220 volts AC, 50Hz.
230 volts AC, 50Hz.
C,F,L
Table service is most common in restaurants and bars. There are no licensing laws. Pasta and pizza plays a substantial part in Italian recipes, but nearly all regions have developed their own special dishes. Examples of regional dishes are listed below. Italy has over 20 major wine regions, from Valle d’Aosta on the French border to Sardinia and Sicily in the south.National specialties: Rome:
• Abbacchio (suckling lamb in white wine flavored with rosemary).
• Gnocchi alla romana (semolina dumplings).
• Cheeses the
best include mozzarella, caciotta romana (semi-hard, sweet sheep cheese), pecorino (hard, sharp sheep’s milk cheese) and gorgonzola. Piemonte:
•Bagna caoda (a traditional anchovy soup, served with vegetables).
• Bonet (a chocolate cake made with coffee and local biscuits).Valle d’Aosta:
• Fonduta (a hot dip with Fontina cheese, milk and egg yolks sprinkled with truffles and white pepper).
• Lepre piemontese (hare cooked in Barbera wine and sprinkled with herbs and bitter chocolate). Lombardy:
• Risotto alla milanese (rice with saffron and white wine).
• Panettone (Christmas cake with sultanas and candied fruit). Trentino and Alto Adige:
•Some excellent sausages and hams come from these regions. Veneto:
• Fegato alla veneziana (calves’ liver thinly sliced and cooked in butter with onions).
• Radicchio rosso di treviso (wild red chicory with a bitter taste). Friuli-Venezia Giulia:
• Prosciutto di San Daniele (raw ham). Liguria:
•Pesto (sauce made of basil, garlic, pine nuts and pecorino cheese with pasta).
• Pandolce (sweet cake with orange flavor). Emilia-Romagna:
•Parmigiano (parmesan cheese).
• Prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham).Tuscany:
•Bistecca alla fiorentina (thick T-bone steak grilled over charcoal, sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper and olive oil).Marche:
•Brodetto (a thick soup made from many varieties of fish, similar to chowder).Abruzzo-Molise:
• Lamb is a favorite ingredient in many dishes. Umbria:
• Fish from Lake Trasimeno and the River Nera
• Porchetta alla perugina (suckling pig). Campania:
• Sfogliatelle (sweet ricotta cheese turnovers) Puglia:
• Ostriche (fresh oysters baked with bread crumbs). Calabria and Basilicata:
• Sarde (fresh sardines with olive oil and oregano).
• Alici al limone (fresh anchovies baked with lemon juice). Sicily:
• Pesce spada (swordfish stuffed with brandy, mozzarella and herbs, grilled on charcoal).
• Pasta con le sarde (pasta with fresh sardines).Sardinia:
• Burrida (fish stew with dogfish and skate).
• Calamaretti alla sarda (stuffed baby squid). National drinks:
Wines are named after grape varieties or after their village or area of origin. The most widespread is the Chianti group of vineyards, governed by the Chianti Classico quality controls (denoted by a black cockerel on the neck of each bottle). The Chianti area is the only area in Italy with such quality controls. Denominazione di origine controllata wines come from officially recognized wine-growing areas (similar to Appellation Contrôlée in France), while wines designated Denominazione controllata e garantita are wines of fine quality.
• Roman wines include Albano, Frascati, and Velletri (whites); Cesanese, Marino and Piglio (reds).Grumello in Lombardy. Barolo and Barbera in Valle d'Aosta. Valpolicella in Veneto. Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Tokai (whites); Cabernet, Merlot and Pinot Nero (reds) in Friuli-Venezia.Chianti and Vernaccia in Tuscany. The Abruzzo-Molise district is home to Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (red) and Trebbiano d’Abruzzo (dry white). The district is also home of a strong liqueur known as Centerbe.
• Vermouths from Piemonte vary from dry and light pink to dark-colored and sweet.
• Aperitifs such as Campari and Punt e Mes are excellent appetizers.
• Italian liqueurs include Amaretto, Galliano, Sambuca and Strega.Tipping:
Service charges and state taxes are included in all hotel bills. It is customary to give up to 10 per cent in addition if service has been particularly good.Nightlife
Nightclubs, discos, restaurants and bars with dancing can be found in most major towns and tourist resorts. In the capital, English-language films can be found at the Pasquine Cinema, Vicolo della Paglia, just off Santa Maria in Trastevere. Restaurants and cafes throughout Italy will invariably have tables outside. Open-air concerts in summer are organized by the Academy of St Cecilia and the Opera House, while there is open-air theater at the Baths of Caracalla. Jazz, rock, folk and country music can all be heard at various venues.
